Inspiration
by Darkanny
Summary: Lance knew that was no way to speak to a teacher. Especially when said teacher had the say in who got to be in the exhibition the university hosted each semester, which was the way most students caught the attention of a good publisher. But this guy had the gall to call him, tell him there was a scheduling misunderstanding, and now they could only have one student in the gallery.


"What do you _mean_ there's only one slot?!"

Now, Lance knew that was no way to speak to a teacher. _Especially_ when said teacher had the say in who got to be in the exhibition the university hosted each semester, which was the way most students caught the attention of a good publisher.

But this guy had the _gall_ to call him to his office, tell him there was a scheduling misunderstanding, and now they could only have _one_ student in the gallery.

"But you promised I'd be there!" Lance groaned, pulling at his hair.

"I know Lance, and I'm sorry, but the gallery coordinator accidentally scheduled both the photography and sculpture exhibitions the same days, and if anyone cancels they lose the spot till next semester. So we'll have to share the space" Coran sighed, running his hand down his face. "I had planned to show the two best students of the course but now there's only enough space for one. The sculpture class has the same problem"

Lance pointed at the seat next to him, where its occupant had remained quiet thus far. "But do I have to compete with _him_?"

Keith crossed his arms, glaring at him. "Why are you getting mad at me? It's not like I planned all this"

"You sure about that?"

"Boys, boys!" Coran raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No one in this room had any control over this. We'll just have to figure it out"

Lance fell back on his seat, pouting up a storm. He'd been waiting so long for this showing, working on his composition, waking up before dawn to get the best lighting and hiding perfectly still in the thorniest of bushes just to get the perfect shot of the slippery fox he'd followed around for two weeks. He'd been building his perfect portfolio just for this and now he was being told he might not even be in it?! Because some guy missing his morning coffee fucked up a scheduling?!

And then there was Keith.

Keith Kogane, Mr. Scholarship, the one who already had a secured internship with National-FREAKING-Geographic. The other student Coran had promised a spot in the exhibit to.

Lance wasn't dumb. He knew he was at risk in this Hunger Games; the odds were not in his favor.

"How are you going to decide who gets the spot then?" Keith asked, his leg bouncing distractingly. Was he as nervous about all this as Lance or just a tic of his?

Coran tapped at his chin, rolling his chair around to look out the window. Lance knew him well enough to know what was coming wasn't good; he was protecting his face from any possible incoming projectiles. "There's really one way to go about this. Why, back when we had the Ceramic Big Bang in '88-"

"Coran"

"Right" He turned around, pointing at both boys in front of him. "You will have to present a new portfolio each, any theme is valid. The gallery needs the pictures submitted in a month, so I'll need them ready for submission within the next 3 weeks tops"

"W—A whole new portfolio, are you serious?! I was already halfway done with mine!" Lance was on the verge of just face-planting on the floor and staying there.

Keith wasn't happy about the situation either. "Why would we need to start a new one?! What's wrong with the ones we already have!"

"Your current portfolios are uploaded online to the school's website for backup as you build them, and they're available to the public view. Making new ones would ensure you don't sabotage or base your pictures of each other's work"

They would've liked to protest, they weren't going to do that, they were more honest than that. But he did kind of have a point; even if they accidentally ended up submitting a picture that was too similar to the other's, it could hinder their chance. Taking new pictures would help since, even if they took similar photos, they could not be accused of looking each other up.

Keith sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with"

Lance hummed in agreement, but still pouting.

"Excellent!" Coran beamed. "Off you go then, make me proud"

He ushered them out of his office, the biggest smile on his face as he slammed the door behind them. Lance and Keith let their heads drop in tandem. The experience had been exhausting.

"Alright" Keith started, rubbing the back of his neck. "This isn't good"

"Oh you _think_?" Lance said, riffling through his bag as he started walking away, Keith hurrying after him to not be left alone in the empty building. "This is just great. Phenomenal! I gotta start right now if I want that spot"

Keith matched his pace, walking next to him as Lance pulled out his camera and hung it around his neck. "Right now? Aren't you gonna take some time to think about what you're gonna do? The theme, the composition. It's not exactly the best light out there at this hour"

Lance turned to him, frowning. "Well maybe that's _you_. I just know any moment I'm not out there is another shot lost" They were walking down the steps now, venturing into the gardens stretching throughout the campus, the evening light still far from turning pink. Lance wasn't going to admit Keith was right; this light was not going to help him, in a couple of hours the buildings would be casting shadows everywhere.

Keith frowned back at him. "Hey I'm just trying to help! It's not fair what's happening" He crossed his arms. "If we have to turn this into a contest, I'd rather it be a fair one"

"How is you giving me tips fair?" Lance said, suddenly bristling. " _Oh_ , oh I see what's going on. You don't think I have a chance against you, is that it?"

"W-what?! Where do you even get that from?!"

"Look, let's just both do our own thing, okay? I don't need your help" Lance started walking again, heading off to the supplies room. He was going to need some lights to work at this hour.

He did feel kind of bad leaving Keith hanging like that though.

Truth is, he wasn't a bad guy. He just had permanent bitch face and wasn't good at starting conversations. Lance had been put in group projects with him before and, though it had been a fight at first, he'd managed to get Keith to accept his input so that they could figure out something that worked for the both of them. After the first project it seemed Keith had decided hanging out with Lance was just fine, and usually searched him out to sit next to him in class or go get coffee between periods. He'd even gone with Lance a few times in search of the slippery fox roaming around the campus' fields.

Slowly, he could even say they became friends. Keith had wormed his way into Lance's group, meeting Hunk and Pidge and in turn introducing them to his brother Shiro, the astrophysics teacher. Lance had been secretly really excited when Coran had told them they'd both be the ones featured in this semester's exhibition; he really liked Keith's work. They were mostly shots of still nature or results of casual people watching, but he always managed to catch just the right light, just the perfect angle to make the scene come to life in a way it surrounded you the more you looked at it.

And that's what scared Lance the most.

Keith was a natural. He'd chosen the photography course as a last minute option, having been kicked out of his last program after, according to rumors, decking a teacher straight in the eye. He'd had no experience with cameras, just had the one Shiro had gotten him on loan from a friend while Keith tested the waters. In just a few weeks it was obvious dude had perfect eye for picking the best shots. A magazine had even offered him a part-time job after seeing his work in a public showing the class had held, and he wasn't even out of his freshman year!

And Lance had to compete with _that_?

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit quick dial, the person answering almost as soon as he'd hit the button. "Hunk you're not gonna believe this shit".

* * *

"Oh man, that sucks" Hunk agreed, stirring his straw around his juice. "I really like Keith. Sooo unfair you guys have to go against each other"

Lance hummed, head propped on his hand as he messed with the cream on his cake, making a little flower of it with his fork. "I just can't believe it. I've waited so long to get a spot in the gallery and now I might not even get it!" He reached over to steal a cherry from Hunk's tart, setting in the middle of his cream flower. "And I know it's not Keith's fault but I can't help being mad at him, you know?"

Hunk ignored the brazen crime committed against his breakfast. "Uh, no I don't actually" He pulled his tart closer to himself in one swift move. "He really didn't have a say in this. Who knows? He might be feeling as anxious about this as you"

"Him, anxious? Please" Lance waved him off, taking a bite of his cake. "He's got this in the bag"

"Who's got what in the bag?"

Lance choked on his food, coughing up a lung as Keith appeared literally out of nowhere behind him.

"Hey Keith!" Hunk greeted as if his best friend wasn't dying right in front of him. Lance vowed to never touch his food again "How's it going buddy?"

Keith shrugged, fiddling with the camera hanging from his neck. "Fine, I guess. Been looking for good takes"

Lance managed to catch his breath again, silently cursing for not getting a drink. "In a coffee shop?" He managed to rasp out before coughing again. Hunk felt merciful enough to slide his juice over to him.

"You don't know where inspiration might strike" Keith said, checking the screen for his saved pictures. "How did it go for you yesterday by the way?"

Lance crossed his arms, looking away. Keith had, _of course_ , been right. Even with all the lamps and screens he snagged from the supplies, the light wasn't right to take a shot of anything that would be good enough for the exhibition. Every take just looked too artificial, and the beams of white light scared away any wildlife that would've been interesting enough.

The barista at the counter called out Keith's name and the boy waved goodbye as he went to get whatever drink he'd ordered. Probably something from the secret menu the staff insisted they didn't have but only Keith was allowed to get, with Lance's luck.

Hunk hummed as Lance handed him back his half-empty glass. "Nice guy"

"Oh shut up"

* * *

Lance decided to kill two birds with one stone; working and relaxing at the same time with a nice trip to the beach to look for his winning shot.

The feeling of the sand between his toes and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks brought him a peace of mind he often found was the best state to find his best pictures in. The call of a seagull brought his attention to a cliff looking out into the sea, the perfect place from which to get a good frame of the rocky formation where a colony of sea lions were sunbathing.

He made his way up the cliff, the transition from sand to grass tickling his bare feet as he climbed to the top. The wind got stronger the higher he went until it was messing up his hair and catching on his jacket. He stopped to take it off and tie it around his waist lest he wanted to become a human kite. A few seagulls sitting here and there screeched at him as he walked past but luckily none jumped at him for getting too close to their nests. Huh, that would be another good picture for when he made his way back. Maybe the beach would be the source of his theme after all.

Of course, nothing can ever go right for the one and only Lance McClain, for as soon as he reached the top he came face to back with the person he least wanted to see.

"Oh come on" Lance groaned, huffing as he made his way to the cliff.

Keith was standing near the edge—or he would've if this were a dramatic telenovela. As it was, he was standing very far away from the edge, where he was safe from falling anywhere other than his butt. His arms were crossed behind his back, blessedly away from the camera ever-present around his neck. So far it seemed Lance could still get his pictures without this _menace_ messing up his mojo.

Lance cleared his throat loudly over the roaring wind, crossing his arms as Keith turned to him.

"Lance?" Keith blinked, hands coming up to hold his camera instinctively. Sheesh, did he think Lance was going to throw it down into the ocean? Not a bad idea, actually, but Lance was above such trickery…barely. "What are you doing here?"

"What you're not doing, hopefully" He walked up to him, because unfortunately Keith was standing at the perfect distance for both safety and the best view. He set down his bag on the ground and knelt on the grass to pick a good lens. "If you steal my theme I'll pull your toes in your sleep"

To his surprise, Keith snickered. "Interesting body part to choose" He sank to the ground to be at level with Lance, sitting cross-legged. "So you're gonna do the beach then?"

Lance started fixing the settings on his camera. "Oh you'd like to know, wouldn't you?" He stopped for a second. "You're not…doing the beach, are you?"

Keith shook his head. Lance noticed he'd pulled his trademark mullet into a low ponytail that whipped around his neck. "Nah, don't worry" He tapped his camera. "I have some pictures already that I want to use, but I can't figure out a theme to put them together"

Lance felt his guts twisting. Keith already had some selected? He hadn't even picked a single one from his "maybe" folder. Didn't even have a theme yet! And it had been almost a whole week already. "Well, there's still a lot of time. I'm sure it won't be a problem for _you_ "

Keith raised an eyebrow. "What's that tone supposed to be?" He leaned into Lance's space, a little smirk on his face "You're not one of those people who think I'm sort of prodigy, are you?"

"Pfft, whaaaat?" Lance pushed his face away. "Why would I think anything about you? I can't even remember your name, Kyle"

Keith laughed, leaning back on his arms. "I hope so"

They were quiet for a few minutes, Lance focusing on the sea lions on the rock and trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to do with them. Keith zipped up his jacket when the wind picked up, shivering at the cold breeze and the spray of water that followed the waves crashing against the face of the cliff. It was a funny sight, to be honest; his collar was high as a vampire's cloak yet the jacket was little more than a crop top. How was that functional in any way?

"You know" Keith spoke again. "I never liked the whole 'prodigy' thing"

Lance glanced at him without setting down his camera. "Sounds like you get it a lot"

"Yeah" Keith shrugged. "I don't really get it, I just like taking pictures of things I like, and people lose their minds over it" He turned to Lance. "That's why I like you"

"Huh?" Lance dropped his camera just as he pressed the shutter. He picked it up from his lap, looking at the blur he'd shot "Ah, shit"

Keith huffed a laugh. "Yeah. It's nice to have a friend who doesn't hold you in a pedestal" He went serious suddenly, mouth in a line and brows furrowing. "We _are_ friends…right?"

Lance looked at him, eyes wide and blinking in surprise. "Dude, of course we are"

Keith's face relaxed in relief. "Oh thank god. I was scared this rivalry you made up was the only thing you thought about me"

"Hey, it's not made up!" Lance shouted. "We're sworn enemies! Keith and Lance, neck to neck"

"So you _do_ remember my name then"

"See, this is why we're rivals"

They glared at each other for a full 4 seconds before they both burst out laughing.

That's when a faraway barking caught their attention, and Lance scrambled to get his camera ready. The sea lions were up from their nap and some were posturing, standing up with their backs straight, chests puffing up towards each other. They were so still a passing seagull found it a perfect moment to stand on the head of one of them, spreading its wings wide just in time for Lance to snap a few pictures.

"Yes!" He shouted, pumping his fist as he looked at what he'd gotten. "I can make this look so good after editing" He pointed at Keith. "You are forbidden from taking pictures here from now on"

"I didn't even come here to take pics in the first place" Keith said.

Lance tilted his head. "Then why were you out here?"

Keith blinked, like he didn't expect Lance to actually care about that. "Uuuh, you know. Fresh air? I like the outdoors"

"Hmmkay, I'll believe you" Lance conceded, standing up and picking up his bag. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some gulls to anger by getting way too close to their nests down there"

Keith snorted, but didn't get up. "Sure. See you back at campus?"

"Oh you bet. I have to distract you long enough to make you lose!" Lance said loudly as he walked away, waving goodbye.

Keith watched him until he was out of sight, and then turned back to face the ocean. The sea lions back to napping laying on top of each other. "That won't be hard for you"

He tapped his camera again, the photos inside burning in the back of his mind.

* * *

"Hey, sorry it took so long"

Lance turned his head slightly to look at Keith as he jogged up to him, a couple of pretzels in his hands.

"Don't worry, man" Lance said, taking the pretzel Keith pushed his way with the hand not holding his camera. "It's always crazy here on Fridays"

Keith looked at him, tilting his head. "You come here often?"

Lance pushed down his need to snicker at the unintended line, turning back to the huge turtle leisurely swimming in front of him. "Yeah, used to come a lot as a kid. I keep coming every once in a while; I really like the sharks"

The aquarium was crawling with people, mostly tired parents just out of work trailing after their overexcited children fresh out of school who rushed from place to place, chasing after the fish. Lance would sometimes come with Hunk and Pidge when he thought they needed to relax, but most of the time he was here on his own, losing himself in the fantasy of being underwater. It hadn't even crossed his mind to invite Keith to come with him until he saw the boy sitting against a tree near his dorm, frowning as he flipped through whatever he had saved in his camera. Now, Lance was going to the aquarium not only to relax, but also because he'd decided on a wildlife theme for his portfolio—he was going to use the pic of that slippery fox if it was the _last thing he did_ —and wanted to get a close-up of his favorite shark. Inviting Keith was definitely a form of self-sabotage; he was smart, would put two and two together and guess his choice immediately.

But, deep down and through all the layers of rivalry he saw Keith through, he knew the boy wouldn't try to mess him up.

Keith hummed, taking a bite out of his pretzel, crumbs falling on the camera ever-hanging on his chest. "I like the zoo better. They got hippos"

"You like hippos?"

Keith nodded fervently, eyes suddenly brightening. "There's a couple who just had a calf last month, and they had this contest to name her and I sent _so many letters—_ "

Lance raised his free hand. "Wait wait wait, you mean Pastrami? That hippo?" Keith nodded once again, and Lance laughed in disbelief. " _You_ named her that?"

"Yes!" Keith was actually smiling now, obviously happy about the subject. But then his smile turned more self-conscious. "I…I know it's dumb, but I had this stuffed hippo named like that and I _knew_ it was for children but…"

A shadow passed in front of them, and Lance turned towards the glass to see a nurse shark swimming by. "Hey, there's Cheesecake"

Keith blinked at him, gaping as he turned towards the shark. "How do you know?"

"It's the only nurse here. They didn't held a contest to name her, but I was here the day they brought her in, and I know a lot of people in the staff sooo" Lance grinned at him. "They let me name her"

"And you named her Cheesecake" Keith deadpanned. "How long ago was that?"

"Last year" Keith snorted. "Pastrami and Cheesecake. We really are something else huh"

In that moment Cheesecake decided to swoop down and nose into a bed of algae, twisting around to search for any leftover food that might have fallen from the last feeding. Lance shoved his pretzel into his mouth, scrambling for his camera as he went down on one knee and angled the lens upwards in front of the patch of algae.

The light beaming through the water fell perfectly as the shark poked her head out of the patch, nose down in the sand. The moment her eye found Lance he snapped one shot after the other, not stopping until she swam up and away from them. Lance didn't move from his place, camera slowly going down back to his chest. He was in a trance, completely unaware of anything happening around him. He was even holding his breath, forgetting he wasn't actually underwater with the shark. He even forgot the pictures he'd just taken were meant for a contest where his only competition was standing right next to him.

Ah, right.

Lance stood up with a groan, his knees stiff from the position he'd been in. Keith was smiling at him, a glint of humor in his eyes.

"What, did I rip my pants or something?" Lance asked, turning around to look at himself.

Keith laughed through his nose. "No, nothing like that. It's just, kneeling like that" He gestured at where Lance had been. "It looked like you were about to propose to the shark"

Lance gasped, bringing a hand to his chest. "Excuse you, Cheesecake is _completely_ out of my league. A lady like that needs to be courted"

"I don't know, I wouldn't go out with someone who named me like a dessert"

"I named her that because she's a snack, Mister Pastrami"

Keith laughed louder, finishing his pretzel in one bite and balling up the napkin to throw at Lance's face. He immediately turned and rushed off, Lance hot on his heels while the staff just shook their heads and let him run among the visitors, too used to the boy's antics by now.

* * *

"It's so weird being in a teacher's house" Lance shuddered, looking around as he stepped in after Keith.

"It's my house too. And you're not even in Shiro's class" Keith replied, dropping his bag in the sofa and gesturing for Lance to leave his stuff wherever.

Lance sat down in a stool by the kitchen counter, rifling through his bag for his camera. "Are you sure I'm not bothering you guys?"

Keith walked past him to take a couple of soda cans from the fridge. "Of course not, Shiro offered" He slid one of the cans towards Lance, cracking open his own. "He should be here already, let me check" He then turned towards the hallway, yelling Shiro's name and effectively stopping Lance's heart in one go.

"Jesus man" Lance whispered, grasping his shirt. Keith snickered and took a sip of his drink.

Shiro appeared through the door a moment later, his usual office casual work attire replaced by comfy gym clothes. He looked as if he'd been taking a nap, but didn't look mad at Keith's yelling, thankfully.

"Hey Lance" He greeted, offering his fist for a bump. He then turned to Keith, nodding at him. "Dickhead"

"Bitch" Keith nodded back.

If Lance didn't have three older siblings himself he would've been worried, but this kind of interaction was so common for him it passed over his head. His camera was securely hanging from his neck. "Thank you so much for helping me, Shiro. I hope I'm not bothering you with this"

Shiro waved his concerns away. "You're never a bother, Lance. I'm happy to help you kick Keith's ass any day"

Keith flipped him off. "I love you too"

"Follow me then" Shiro turned, disappearing into the house from where he'd appeared.

Lance followed behind him, Keith closing the line. They passed a couple of doors and went into the master bedroom, which Lance guessed Shiro had claimed both because he had older brother—and chokehold—privileges, and also to house the massive terrarium that occupied half of the room.

"There you go" Shiro walked towards the glass, motioning for Lance to follow. "She just ate a couple of days ago so handling her will be easier"

When he approached, Lance could make out the slick gleam of the 5 feet boa constrictor resting over the biggest rock in the habitat. Her tail trailed and disappeared between the vegetation, her head lifting at the newcomers. She had smooth, beautiful black scales blending so solidly she seemed made out of a void. The terrarium had areas that transitioned from dense vegetation to a sand bath, with heating bulbs hanging right in the middle so the snake had space to move wherever she wanted to. A pool of fresh water was settled between the vegetation, with sturdy branches strategically positioned over it so she could get to it without getting wet.

Lance's hands itched to pick up his camera. "She's beautiful"

Shiro's chest puffed with pride. "She's the perfect model. When Keith told me you were taking wildlife pictures I knew she was perfect for it"

"And does my model have a name?" Lance asked, straightening up.

"Three guesses" Keith said, walking up next to Lance. "And the first two don't count"

Shiro kicked him in the shin. "Shut up. Black is a perfectly good name"

"Oh god really?" Lance laughed. "I have a blue russian cat back at home. Her name's Blue"

"See, Keith? Finally someone with good taste"

Keith scoffed. "You really have a gift for naming animals, Lance"

Lance nodded. "I sure do, buddy"

Shiro moved towards the door concealed on the side of the terrarium, securing it after going inside. He stepped around rocks and branches, reaching the snake who looked curiously up at him.

"How would you like her?" He asked through the glass, his voice muffled a bit but loud enough to hear from the outside.

Lance looked at the habitat. "How about by the pool, over the branches?"

Shiro nodded, carefully lifting the snake and moving her to drape over the branches, letting her curl her tail around them. He moved some of the plants surrounding the pool so some shadows fell over her and let the light hit in a way it resembled more a jungle setting.

Lance moved to lie down on his stomach, at eye level with the snake. "That's perfect"

The only sounds after were the clicking of the shutter as he snapped photo after photo of the snake, and the ruffling of leaves as she moved around, suddenly deciding she was thirsty and hanging lower to reach the water. Lance focused on the way her mouth puffed with each gulp, trying not to laugh at how cartoony she looked. After a while she got bored and slithered off, hiding under the brush.

"Do you need any more?" Shiro asked.

Lance shook his head. "I have enough. Thank you so much" He was almost jumping on his spot, checking the pictures he took.

Shiro looked at Keith, raising his eyebrows at him with a knowing smile while Lance wasn't looking. Keith huffed and hid his own camera behind his back, subtly moving to set it down on Shiro's desk where it had been set before they entered the room.

* * *

Two weeks had gone by and the time for submitting their final work was fast approaching, but Lance still wanted to take as many pics as possible before narrowing it down to which ones he wanted to use. So, he went to the one place where he could cram as many as he could in one go: the zoo.

He hadn't even questioned himself when he shot Keith a quick text asking him to come; he had helped him a lot with his photos, accompanying him to the aquarium and letting him know about Shiro's snake. It just felt right that his possibly last outing had him there as well.

Plus, they were going to visit his little girl.

"Hi honey!" Keith cooed, leaning forward almost dangerously into the hippo environment.

The smallest one, a baby calf waddling after her mother, kept poking her tongue out and flicking her ears at every word the visitors threw her way.

"That's Pastrami?" Lance asked, arms crossed casually over the railing.

Keith nodded frantically, waving when the hippo looked at him. "Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Lance pursed his lips, staring at Keith thoughtfully. "Comes pretty close"

"What?!" Keith fell back on his feet, a look of betrayal and disbelief crossing his face. "What could be cuter than her!"

Lance shrugged, smirking as he got more riled up. "Come on, let's go down to the window to get a better look"

They walked down to where the hippos were at eye level through a glass, the view including their artificial pond and grassy areas, and even a look into the water to see them swim and float from the outside. The habitat was big and well kept, with the group of hippos either swimming or eating at all times, so it was easy to find what could be a good pic.

Lance walked towards the pond, following one that was slowly kicking through the water, floating halfway between the surface and the bottom. The day was sunny and the light cut through the water like shining blades, not unlike how it had looked in the aquarium. He snapped some pics of it, alternating between crouching to get an upward angle or gambling with raising his camera well over his head to get an overhead shot.

Keith walked up to him, his own camera at the ready for the moment when Pastrami did something cute—which for Keith, was literally everything. Lance stopped for a moment.

"Hey, I don't know much about hippos but, is Pastrami weaned yet?"

Keith shook his head. "Nah, she's only a couple of weeks old. She should still be just on milk"

Lance took that as his cue to move to the other side of the glass, dragging Keith behind him as the hallway rose in angle to be at level with the ground. He flitted about until he found the calf and her mother, standing by a patch of grass as she ate. The calf was leaning against her mother, trying to play, pushing her unsuccessfully.

"Now we wait, I guess" Lance said, holding his camera but not raising it. "Sooo, you already know my theme and most of my pics" He said. "Can I know about yours?"

Keith blinked, surprised at the question. Really, he should've been expecting it. "Uuh" He rubbed the back of his neck. "To be completely honest…I don't know yet?"

"What?!" Lance gaped at him. "B-but it's only a week away, you _have_ to have something, right?"

Keith brought his hands up. "I do! I do. I have a lot of photos that…kinda link together" He bit his lip, avoiding eye contact with Lance. "I just don't have a title yet"

"Well, could I help?"

"No!" Keith had the decency to flinch at his own voice, at least. "I mean, it's not that I don't want you to, I just…" He trailed off. The hand falling on his shoulder made him jump.

"Hey, it's fine" Lance reassured him, smiling. "If you don't want me to see what you have, it's fine. I just feel kinda bad, since you've been helping me so much and I haven't exactly done anything for you…"

"Lance…" Keith frowned, looking at the boy's hand on his shoulder. He placed his own hand on top of it. "It's not that. I _want_ you to see it but…not right now"

Lance nodded. "It's cool man"

Keith glanced up at him, a small smile on his face. A movement on the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked into the glass. "Hey, look at that"

Lance snapped back into attention, gasping at the sight of Pastrami reaching under her mother for her udder to latch onto. He scrambled for his camera, slipping his hand from under Keith's on the way.

Lance was short of pressing the entire lens against the glass trying to get as close as possible, face lighting up at the scene. Keith smiled, for the first time that day ignoring his favorite animal to stare at him instead. He subtly turned on his camera, shifting the screen to the top so he could focus without having to bring his camera to his face, and caught the moment Lance started jumping in place when Pastrami's mother flopped to the ground, the calf following suit to the ground without unlatching from her.

Keith turned off his camera just in time for Lance to hop over to him, squealing in glee. "This is the money shot, I can feel it!"

"Of course it is, she's a star" Keith grinned back, the joy Lance was emitting contagious. "You're gonna give me a copy of that after the exhibit is over, right?"

Lance laughed, hooking his arm around Keith's shoulders as he started walking away towards the rest of the animals he'd yet to see. "Wouldn't forget that, buddy"

* * *

Lance stood stiff as a statue, eyes boring into the piece of paper stuck to the announcements board.

"Bud, you've been standing there for five minutes" Hunk sighed, patting his friend's back. "I'm sorry man"

Lance didn't speak, just sighed and dragged his hand down his face. He had been preparing himself for this, but still. Seeing the name KEITH KOGANE loud and proud printed as the selected one for the exhibition still hurt.

Of course, he didn't blame Keith. Had he been someone else he might have thought that maybe he'd taken advantage of knowing all of Lance's work and theme; but Keith would never do that, he had won fair and square out of his own work and talent, and Lance felt happy for him, he really did!

Still.

"I just wanted this to be my chance for once" Lance muttered, shouldering his bag and walking away from the board, hooking his arm with Hunk's.

"Are you going, anyway?"

"Of course I am" Lance smiled. "I still need to know what was so important he couldn't tell me what he did"

"You don't think it's something creepy like the sky from the inside of an open tomb, right?"

"What the hell Hunk"

Hunk barked a laugh at Lance's unbelieving tone, ruffling his hair in what was almost a noogie. "I'm joking! He's cool, he's cool. I'm going too"

Lance shook his head, clinging to Hunk with both arms like the baby koala he'd taken pics of at the zoo.

He probably wouldn't say it out lout, but he felt relieved in a way. He had lost his chance at presenting his work—he'd still be able to be exposed next semester, Coran had assured him even if the scheduling problem happened again, he'd give the spot to Lance since Keith had gotten this one—but he couldn't be mad at Keith. In fact, he was kind of excited about it? Whatever Keith had presented was going to be amazing, and he wanted to see it first-hand.

As they left the building and walked into the open field of campus, Lance used his hold on Hunk to drag him towards the coffee shop. He seriously needed as much sugar as he could get in one drink. With lots of sprinkles. And a muffin.

As they entered the shop, he came face to face with a very familiar mullet waiting in line.

"Hey Keith!" Lance called, walking up to him as Keith turned at his name being called.

Keith smiled, waving them closer. "Hey guys" His voice was unusually soft, and they all knew it was from the news. Sure, he was happy, but he still didn't know what Lance's reaction was at losing to him.

Lance threw every doubt out the window as he released Hunk and pulled Keith in for a hug. "Congratulations, man"

Keith blinked at Hunk over Lance's shoulder, wrapping his arms around him to return the hug as Hunk shrugged. "Thanks Lance"

Lance squeezed a bit harder before letting go, only his hands on Keith's shoulders remaining. Keith's hands had stayed by Lance's waist. "Seriously, you better had done a damn good job at it, cause I will be there, judging you"

Keith laughed, wrapping one arm around Lance's waist and pulling him flush against him, Lance wrapping his own arm around his shoulders. "I wouldn't expect any less"

Hunk was looking at them, deadpan as he talked to Pidge on his phone. "Yeah, they're like, cuddling or something. Pretty sure they forgot I'm here. You want a latte or something?"

* * *

Lance breathed into his scarf, warming up his hands with the cup of coffee he'd been given by an attendant at the gallery.

The weather for the day had turned cold at the last moment, giving Lance the chance to dress up in his most hipster clothes for the exhibition—striped shirt, jean jacket, scarf and khakis-which fit perfectly with the place and how everyone else was dressed. He wouldn't stand out as he usually tried to, but it was fine today; it wasn't about him.

The gallery was built in such a way the space was divided in three main rooms, getting bigger the deeper you went into the building like some sort of irregular trapezoid. The entrance hall was were people signed off their name in the assistance book, so they could be sent little gifts later in the week as a thank you for supporting the art and the students presenting their work. It was also where you could get drinks and food, on the house, as a way to keep you hooked and inside the building. It was a cheap trick, but Lance lived for it.

The second room was slightly bigger, filled from wall to wall with sculptures ranging from 8 feet tall carved marble figures to a perfectly smooth hollow ball of steel. It seemed a few students were sharing the room, as the styles differed greatly from piece to piece, and a lot of boys and girls dressed sharply stood by different sculptures, describing them to people surrounding them.

Lance couldn't help feel a bit jealous. If it wasn't for the scheduling error, this would've been his room, filled with enlarged versions of his photos, wearing a nice casual suit and just being a huge peacock and showing off as much as he could. Maybe snag an internship or something.

He stayed for a bit, walking around the room and reading the descriptions of each piece, telling himself he was just genuinely appreciating his peers' work and not making time from how nervous he was to see Keith's exhibition.

He was excited! Don't get him wrong, he really liked Keith's pictures and really wanted to see what he'd submitted, but the whole time they'd spent together Keith had kept it a secret, a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and Lance kept thinking about it. What could it be? Keith had spent so much time going with Lance wherever he wanted to find animals, he couldn't figure out where he'd gotten the time to finish his portfolio; even one big enough he was granted the third room all for himself.

When he'd gone around the steel sphere for the third time, Lance knew he was stalling.

"Okay" He told himself. "Suck it up McClain" He was alone today, being the first day of a three day long exhibition Hunk and Pidge would come later in the weekend as they were slammed with homework. He was going to brave it himself and he was going to _enjoy it._

He made his way towards the entrance to the third room, walking past people leaving who stared at him as they passed, a group of girls giggling and stopping in their tracks, following him back inside without him noticing.

The first pictures he saw where typical of Keith; wide shots of the city taken from rooftops he definitely should not have been able to climb. The university's library at dusk, taken from above a tall shelf he must've put his camera on top of with the timer. The beginning of the forest line surrounding campus at the break of dawn, with morning mist wafting through the trees like haunting ghosts. Images Lance had seen once and again in person, but that somehow managed to create a whole new world out of them from Keith's point of view. Lance knew he wouldn't be able to step through these places without looking at them differently.

A chorus of giggles caught his attention and he finally noticed the girls following him. Lance couldn't help himself, his hands coming up in finger guns automatically in their directions. They laughed again, falling on each other as some glanced towards the back wall of the room and then back to him. Okay? Lance knew he was cute, but this wasn't the usual reaction he got. He waved bye at them and kept walking in.

And he stopped.

The first photo he came across as he cruised towards the back was him.

He knew exactly what it was. It was the day after he'd been told about the competition, when he'd been with Hunk at the coffee shop; Hunk was in frame too, but _he_ was center frame, face looking down as he placed the stolen cherry in the middle of the cream flower on his cake. The morning light fell on half of his face, the other half in the shadow of the wall making a glaring contrast in the colors his skin, eyes and hair shone. This had been taken seconds before Keith appeared behind him, and he never even realized.

He turned around and saw the next one; this one was from above, with Lance standing on the beach, the angle perfectly catching the serene smile on his face as he gazed out into the sea, his toes digging in the sand as he let the sound of the ocean wash over him. The wind ruffled his hair and clothes and brought the image to life in such a way he could even hear the seagulls around him. This has been when Keith was on the cliff Lance had climbed that day. Had Keith known he was going to be there that day, or had it been mere coincidence? He had said he wasn't there to take photos that day, so most likely a fortuitous event.

He was frantic now, his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest as he followed to the next display, not noticing how more and more people turned to look at him, recognizing him as the boy from the photos and either smiling at his obvious surprise or straight up pulling out their phones to record his reactions.

Another one, that time at the aquarium. Lance kneeling in front of the glass as he stared at Cheesecake, the shark turned towards him and looking into his eyes as if deep in mental conversation. He couldn't help breathing out a laugh; he really did look like he was about to propose to her.

One at Keith's own house, Lance's back on view as he lay on the floor, the angle making the carpet disappear and editing getting rid of the reflections in the glass and the unnatural effect of the artificial light, making it seem like Lance really was out in the wild, face to face with a huge snake like one would be with a common pet. Oh, so Shiro was in on this too? Didn't surprise him.

The next one was of the zoo, Lance's face full of glee as he gazed into the hippo enclosure, his camera held by his heart as the animals were also included in the frame, clearing the context for the spectators in the gallery. It had caught Lance mid-jump, his feet off the ground and hair fluffed up by the movement as his eyes gleamed from excitement at the scene the animals were providing. How did he not realize Keith was snapping this right next to him? This guy had some mad talent sneaking; if he'd taken the wildlife theme Lance would have dropped out then and there.

Speaking of which, Lance still didn't know the theme of this exhibit.

He kept glancing around, saw his mop of brown hair or the blue of his eyes in pretty much every picture past the first line, some of times he'd hung out with Keith, some of him wandering through campus by himself, others with Hunk and Pidge. But he was always the main focus, regardless of light, time, place; it was as if Keith had just always found him fascinating wherever he came across him.

Lance was stuck in front of one in particular, where was sitting on the grass, leaning back against a tree as he threw stones at the calm water of a pond. He remembered that day, when he'd somehow finished his homework with enough time to spare, and he decided to relax by the water, just letting time fly around him, free of worries.

He didn't know Keith at that time.

"Lance?"

He snapped back to reality, head whipping in the direction of Keith's voice. He stood a few ways away from him, dressed nicely in black slacks and a red button up that complimented quite well the blush spreading over his cheeks.

The entire room was looking at them now, like hungry dogs waiting for leftover bones; only this bones were drama.

Keith walked up to him, rubbing his arm self-consciously. He was clearly nervous at what Lance had to say about all this, and to be fair, Lance was as well. "You came"

Lance looked at him, trying to ignore the amount of cameras pointed in his direction. God if this made it to youtube he was gonna end up in Ellen. "I said I would, didn't I?"

Keith breathed a laugh. "I hope this isn't too creepy" He looked around at the photos, flushing redder. "Okay, it _is_ really creepy"

Lance closed the distance between them, linking their arms together. "Come on, show me the place" He leaned closer to whisper to him. "Let's not give these vultures what they want"

Keith snorted, covering his mouth to muffle his laughter as he let Lance pull him forward towards the back. People followed them with their eyes, but had enough presence of mind to leave them alone as they walked away.

Lance stopped by the corner, letting Keith walk him through the easels, Lance guessing when they'd been taken and Keith telling him how he'd taken them and from where. Keith revealed, looking at his feet in embarrassment, that he'd been taking pictures of Lance long before they met, since he had seen Lance for the first time and had been struck with him immediately. Most of the pictures in the showing had been saved in his folders for a long time.

"I know it's really weird to just take pictures of you without your permission, you don't have to pretend it isn't"

Lance waved his hand in an 'ehh' gesture. "Not gonna lie, it's a bit weird. But I gotta say, if I'm gonna get a little stalker, I'm glad it's you" He let his arm slide down Keith's, clasping his hand and intertwining their fingers together. "It's not like you climb into my window at night to stare at me when I sleep"

Keith stayed quiet, looking ahead.

Lance stopped dead in his tracks. " _No_ " He whispered in horror.

Keith burst out laughing, holding his stomach with his free hand, wiping away tears with the hand holding Lance's. "Kidding! I'm kidding, I'd never do that, come on"

"Oh you little shit" Lance huffed, bumping his shoulder with his. They reached the end of the line, walking around to the next one. People had already gotten bored with the lack of drama and went back to minding their own business. "I still don't get it though, why me? I'm sure you have tons of photos to fill ten galleries"

Keith bit his lip, looking around before settling back to Lance. "I had another idea at first; I was gonna use some still life photos I had stored away for this kind of stuff, but then that scheduling incident happened" He brushed a lock of hair behind his ear. "I was really looking forward to sharing the exhibit with you, and it really threw me off that only one of us could be here, so I decided to have you as center piece, so in case I was chosen it would be as if both of use were here"

Lance groaned, hunching in on himself and clutching at his chest. "God that's too cute. I hate you" He straightened up, bringing Keith's hand up and kissing his knuckles. "You could've just asked me out directly, you know"

Keith moved so fast Lance almost missed it. He stopped and turned around, bringing his free arm around Lance's neck while still holding hands, and hid his face in his neck. Lance returned the hug, startling when he felt Keith sniffle. He tried to pull back to see his face but Keith tightened his hold.

"No" He said against Lance's neck. "Let me stay here"

Lance rubbed his back soothingly, kissing the top of his head. "Okay babe, take your time"

They stayed like that for a few moments, Lance rocking them in place as Keith sniffled a couple times more. Lance could hear a couple of people aww-ing at them, and who he recognized as one of the guys from the university's newsletter clicking away with his camera. Now, _that_ was ironic. He wondered if he could get a copy of that for himself.

Finally Keith pulled back, still holding onto Lance but with enough space between them to see each other's faces. His eyes were a bit red but he looked so so happy.

"Do you wanna go out with me?" He asked, low and as private as it could get in a hall full of people.

Lance placed a quick kiss on the tip of his reddened nose. "Absolutely"

Keith buried himself in Lance's neck once more, moving his arms to Lance's waist to lift him up and spin him around. Lance shrieked as he was spun, laughing as he was put down.

"So" Lance started after a while, the two of them leaning against a wall as the public walked through the gallery. "What _is_ your theme?"

Keith smiled, looking at him with too much fondness to contain it in.

"Inspiration"


End file.
